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Intertidal and subtidal soft-bottom macro- and meiofauna of the Kongsfjord (Spitsbergen)

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Abstract

The intertidal and subtidal soft bottom macro- and meiofauna of a glacier fjord on Spitsbergen was studied after complete ice melt in June 2003. The abundances of the benthic fauna were within the range reported from estuaries and similar intertidal areas of boreal regions. The high proportion of juveniles in the eulittoral zone indicated larval recruitment from subtidal areas. The macrobenthic fauna can be divided into an intertidal and a subtidal community, both being numerically dominated by annelids. Deposit feeders were numerically predominant in intertidal sites, whereas suspension feeders were most abundant in the subtidal area. Among the meiofauna, only the benthic copepods were identified to species, revealing ecological adaptations typical for intertidal species elsewhere.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SPP 1158, Antarktisforschung mit vergleichenden Untersuchungen in arktischen Eisgebieten, BI 758/2-1). We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers and especially the editor for their useful comments. We are obliged to Dr M. Stachowitsch for scientific English copyediting.

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  1. FB Biowissenschaften, Allgemeine and Spezielle Zoologie, Universität Rostock, Universitätsplatz 2, 18051, Rostock, Germany

    Andreas Bick

  2. FB Biowissenschaften, Meeresbiologie, Universität Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Str. 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany

    Günter Arlt

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  1. Andreas Bick
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Correspondence to Andreas Bick.

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Bick, A., Arlt, G. Intertidal and subtidal soft-bottom macro- and meiofauna of the Kongsfjord (Spitsbergen). Polar Biol 28, 550–557 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0710-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0710-5

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